Ratropolis

87%
Game Brain Score Based on 1,695 reviews
  • gameplay
  • graphics
  • replayability
Ratropolis Game Cover
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"Ratropolis is a real-time strategic tower defense card game where you must protect a besieged mouse city using over 500 military, economic, and building cards. Choose from six distinct leaders, each with their own abilities, to rebuild and defend the city. With around 100 ever-changing events, each playthrough offers a new experience."

  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • Mac OS
  • PC
  • Phone
  • Steam Deck
  • Windows
  • Mobile Platform
  • Tablet
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

87%
Audience ScoreBased on 1,695 reviews
gameplay96 positive mentions
grinding26 negative mentions
  • Unique blend of deck-building, tower defense, and city-building mechanics that keeps gameplay fresh and engaging.
  • Each of the six leaders offers distinct playstyles and strategies, providing high replayability.
  • Charming art style and cute character designs that enhance the overall experience.
  • Difficulty spikes significantly after wave 20, often leading to frustrating and unbalanced gameplay.
  • Heavy reliance on RNG can result in runs being determined by luck rather than skill, making it feel unfair at times.
  • Unit management can be cumbersome, with limited options for moving troops and a lack of effective controls.
  • gameplay328 mentions

    The gameplay of Ratropolis is a dynamic blend of real-time strategy, deckbuilding, and tower defense, offering a unique experience with its fast-paced mechanics and diverse leader abilities. While many players appreciate the variety and depth of strategies available, some criticize the balance issues, lack of clear tutorials, and repetitive elements that can detract from the overall enjoyment. Despite these concerns, the game remains engaging and addictive, particularly for fans of roguelike and card-based gameplay.

    • “The gameplay is challenging in the perfect way.”
    • “The fast-paced nature of the gameplay and the rogue-lite mechanics keeps things interesting and challenging.”
    • “The core gameplay loop and game systems are fun, but this game has way too many 'gotcha!' lose conditions for first playthroughs, where you can't possibly know it until you lose to it even if you were stomping through a playthrough mere seconds before.”
    • “The game does very little to explain the mechanics, so the player is left to do trial and error.”
    • “But it becomes a slog of just repetitive over repetitive gameplay as it sends an unbeatable horde your way.”
    • “New gameplay changes made the game so boring and not fun to play anymore.”
  • graphics92 mentions

    The graphics of the game are widely praised for their charming and cute art style, which effectively balances appeal with a touch of brutality where necessary. Players appreciate the unique visuals for different factions and locations, as well as the attention to detail in character and card designs, contributing to an immersive and enjoyable experience. While some note that the animations are simple, the overall aesthetic is considered delightful and engaging, enhancing the gameplay significantly.

    • “The unique visuals for each of the different factions, as well as the different visuals for the different locations in the game, make it very satisfying just to zoom out and look at the settlement you have built.”
    • “The graphics are cute; you're playing a nation of rats after all, and seeing those rodents dressed up in various armor and wielding a variety of weapons does give each unit type their own feel.”
    • “The artwork is amazing, cute, and very appealing.”
    • “The graphics are sort of cartoony and, err, kind of 90's-looking?”
    • “It's like if an old Newgrounds flash game got better graphics and came to Steam.”
    • “[b] A difficult game hiding behind a cutesy art style and a casual facade, attracting the wrong audience and not providing enough to keep hardcore players interested.”
  • replayability85 mentions

    Overall, the game exhibits high replayability due to its diverse characters, strategies, and randomized elements, allowing players to experiment with various builds and playstyles. While many users appreciate the depth and variety that contribute to replay value, some note that replayability may diminish after mastering the game or reaching certain milestones. Frequent updates and a charming art style further enhance the game's appeal, making it a worthwhile experience for players seeking engaging gameplay.

    • “With its addictive gameplay, charming art style, and high replayability, it's no wonder I found myself sinking 94 hours into this delightful game.”
    • “Different leaders and decks along with different enemy combinations give the game a lot more replayability than I first expected, and I've gotten a lot of hours of play out of it already.”
    • “The depth of strategic options provides great replayability.”
    • “Sadly, it lacks in replayability due to limited and highly repetitive main game.”
    • “While the game mechanics are very similar to Slay the Spire, the design choice to make all leaders share the same deck of cards limits replayability and makes all leaders feel the same aside from the early game.”
    • “Other negative reviews came from people playing many hours; they enjoyed the game until they had 'solved the puzzle,' so to speak. They found the optimal strategy, and once you do, the replayability really does take a hit.”
  • story47 mentions

    The game's story is described as minimal and lacking depth, with many players expressing a desire for a more developed narrative or campaign mode. While some appreciate the charming artwork and the concept of a rat civilization's downfall, others find the storytelling elements insufficient, often feeling repetitive and disconnected from the gameplay. Overall, the game offers enjoyable mechanics but leaves players wanting more in terms of a cohesive and engaging story.

    • “The story being that the rat civilization destroyed itself through rapid innovation, which scattered its populous and made them weak to attack from their many predators as well as the remains of the failed experiments on their rat brethren.”
    • “Challenging, original take on classic game types, story, complex; this game has it all.”
    • “There are actually small storylines in the game, which have different outcomes depending on your decisions.”
    • “This game has no story.”
    • “There is no storyline to the game, just pure gameplay.”
    • “All levels feel the same and there is zero story aside from intro and small written events with multiple choice picks.”
  • grinding28 mentions

    Reviews indicate that grinding in the game is a mixed experience; while some players appreciate the need for strategic engagement rather than mindless grinding, many find the process tedious and frustrating. The grind is often described as a chore, with players feeling that it detracts from the overall enjoyment, especially when rewards seem insufficient or the gameplay becomes repetitive. However, some elements, like unique character builds, can mitigate the tedium for certain players.

    • “You'll need a second life for grinding.”
    • “I do not understand why, in a game that already has a difficulty scaling system, the standard difficulty had to be made into a tedious grind compared to what the game could have been.”
    • “I barely have a 25% win ratio so far and maybe it gets better down the line after grinding levels but the grinding feels more like a chore than anything, especially since the rewards for leveling up don't seem to be that efficient.”
    • “The game is now tedious to the point of frustrating.”
  • music21 mentions

    The music in the game is generally well-received, with many praising its fitting and immersive quality, though some note it can become repetitive and lacks variety, with only a limited number of tracks available. While the soundtrack complements the game's art style effectively, a few reviewers feel it could benefit from more diverse music to enhance the overall experience. Overall, the music is considered decent but not exceptional, with some highlighting it as the weakest aspect of the game.

    • “The graphics and music are great.”
    • “The soundtrack is particularly magnificent, but the voice effects are very comical.”
    • “The music and art style are very well matched and create an immersive atmosphere; sound effects and graphical elements have a high quality and are very cohesive.”
    • “The sounds and music get pretty repetitive fast.”
    • “However, the music will get on your nerves fast, as will the sounds of the rats.”
    • “I would say at this moment (reminder: early access) the music is the weakest part of the game.”
  • stability8 mentions

    The game's stability is criticized for being buggy and unpolished, with issues such as freezing during pauses, visual glitches, and problems with animations and card interactions. Users report a lack of basic quality of life features, which detracts from the overall experience. Additionally, the inability to save and resume games further highlights the game's stability concerns.

    • “Buggy and lacking in basic quality of life features.”
    • “You can pause, but it freezes the game; you can't input anything or even mouse over your cards to read them.”
    • “I expected real time with pause, but it's actually real time with a pause button that freezes the game and you can't act for some reason.”
  • humor7 mentions

    The humor in the game is characterized by its charming and whimsical artwork, alongside gameplay that features amusing mechanics and character interactions. Players find the contrast between the builder's power and other characters to be particularly funny, while the presence of quirky elements, such as a rat protagonist, adds to the overall lightheartedness. The comedic appeal is further enhanced by popular content creators, making it an enjoyable experience for many.

    • “A game with well-crafted mechanics accompanied by funny and charismatic artwork.”
    • “Everyone else seems hilariously under-powered compared to the builder.”
    • “Cute and funny gameplay.”
  • atmosphere4 mentions

    The game's atmosphere is highly praised for its artistic quality, with a fun and immersive environment enhanced by exceptional music, sound effects, and cohesive graphical elements. The presence of rats adds a unique and impactful layer to the overall theme, making it a standout feature of the experience.

    • “This is a piece of art that really hits the spot with the atmosphere and theme.”
    • “I love the fun atmosphere the game has.”
    • “The music and art style are very well matched and create an immersive atmosphere; sound effects and graphical elements have a high quality and are very cohesive.”
    • “But the atmosphere the rats give it is just incredible.”
  • emotional3 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game has received mixed feedback; while some players appreciate its depth, others feel it lacks genuine emotional engagement, leaving them feeling disconnected and even miserable at times. Comparisons to other narratives highlight a desire for stronger character development and emotional resonance.

    • “Never have I ever played a game that made me feel so miserable.”
    • “It's good, but it just lacks emotional engagement.”
    • “Made me feel like I was playing Redwall without the badass badgers from Salamanderstrom.”
  • optimization3 mentions

    The game is highly addictive, but players note that it suffers from optimization issues, particularly after wave 30, and the initial gameplay is considered too easy and poorly optimized. Additionally, the random card mechanics and permanent unlocks add variability to each run, but the overall performance could be improved.

    • “Each run features a random chance for card drops, with permanent unlocks available after each run based on your performance.”
    • “The optimization system rewards players for their skill, allowing for strategic planning and progression.”
    • “Players can enhance their experience through a well-balanced mix of randomness and skill-based unlocks.”
    • “It is really addicting to play, but you will find that the game isn't well optimized for post wave 30.”
    • “The first game is too easy, but it is very poorly optimized.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

85% average critic score

Buy Ratropolis

Play time

25hMedian play time
37hAverage play time
11-80hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 20 analyzed playthroughs

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